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UK military deaths in Afghanistan: How they died

The UK's military role in Afghanistan since 2001 has not been without its human toll. Members of the Army, RAF, Royal Marines and special forces have lost their lives in the fight against the Taliban. Here, the BBC News website offers a look at who they were and how they died.

How they died

Total deaths:456

Hostile:392

Accident:41

Other:23

All deaths:

UK forces have been in Afghanistan since US-led forces launched Operation Enduring Freedom in 2001, targeting al-Qaeda and its Taliban supporters. As the UK's role has changed, troop numbers have increased. Most casualties have been caused by improvised explosive devices, or IEDs. Others have died in clashes with insurgents, accidents or by other causes. Use the filter menu to see a more detailed breakdown.

Hostile deaths:

The Taliban have used different techniques to target UK troops at their bases or while on patrol. Attacks by insurgents armed with guns and hand or rocket-propelled grenades have inflicted casualties, as well those using as indirect fire, such as mortars or rockets. There is also a constant threat of IEDs or landmines planted by the insurgents.

Hostile

Deaths

IED/landmine

224

Shot

117

Indirect fire

8

Grenade

21

Suicide bomb

17

All other causes

5

Accidental deaths:

A number of UK troops have died in accidents while on tour in Afghanistan. There have been fatal vehicle accidents and some incidents involving weapons. The largest loss of life as a result of a single accident happened in September 2006 when a Nimrod MR2 aircraft exploded and crashed after air-to-air refuelling, killing all 14 personnel on board.

Accident

Deaths

Air

22

Vehicle

14

Weapon

2

All other causes

3

Other deaths:

Some deaths in Afghanistan have occurred as a result of causes other than hostile action or accidents. There have been a small number of suicides and troops killed in so-called "friendly fire" incidents. The cause of some deaths is still under investigation.

Other causes

Deaths

Friendly fire

12

Suicide

3

Under investigation

1

All other causes

7

When they died

UK troop levels, and casualties, increased sharply in 2006 when Nato took over leadership of operations in the south - with most British forces based in Helmand where Taliban influence was strong. Operations such as Panther's Claw against Taliban strongholds also increase the risk of exposure to IEDs.

All deaths

Month

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

January

N/A

0

0

1

0

0

2

1

6

6

2

3

2

0

0

February

N/A

0

0

0

0

0

2

2

6

15

7

1

0

0

0

March

N/A

0

0

0

0

2

4

2

3

12

6

9

1

1

0

April

N/A

1

0

0

0

0

1

3

1

3

1

3

3

5

0

May

N/A

0

0

0

0

0

5

3

12

8

4

5

0

0

0

June

N/A

0

0

0

0

3

4

13

4

20

6

4

0

0

0

July

N/A

0

0

0

0

3

6

4

22

16

3

3

0

0

1

August

N/A

2

0

0

0

8

6

2

19

7

3

3

0

0

0

September

0

0

0

0

0

19

7

4

8

6

2

8

0

0

0

October

0

0

0

0

1

1

1

1

6

4

1

4

1

0

2

November

0

0

0

0

0

0

2

7

12

3

7

1

1

0

N/A

December

0

0

0

0

0

3

2

9

9

3

4

0

1

0

N/A

Service

Army

Royal Air Force

Royal Navy

Royal Marines

Not released

371

25

0

60

0

Rank

Officers

NCOs

Other ranks

Not released

49

58

347

2

Age

19 and under

20-29

30-39

40+

Not released

35

310

87

23

1

Sex

Deaths

Male

453

Female

3

Service

Deaths

Army

371

Royal Air Force

25

Royal Navy

0

Royal Marines

60

Not released

0

Rank

Deaths

Officers

49

NCOs

58

Other ranks

347

Not released

2

Age

Deaths

19 and under

35

20-29

310

30-39

87

40+

23

Not released

1

Sex

Deaths

Male

453

Female

3

Hostile deaths

Month

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

January

N/A

0

0

1

0

0

1

1

4

6

2

2

2

0

0

February

N/A

0

0

0

0

0

1

2

6

14

4

1

0

0

0

March

N/A

0

0

0

0

0

4

2

3

12

6

9

1

0

0

April

N/A

0

0

0

0

0

1

3

1

3

1

3

3

0

0

May

N/A

0

0

0

0

0

4

3

12

7

4

5

0

0

0

June

N/A

0

0

0

0

3

4

12

4

16

6

4

0

0

0

July

N/A

0

0

0

0

3

6

4

21

14

3

3

0

0

1

August

N/A

0

0

0

0

5

3

2

19

6

3

3

0

0

0

September

0

0

0

0

0

5

5

4

8

6

2

5

0

0

0

October

0

0

0

0

1

1

1

1

6

4

1

4

1

0

N/A

November

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

7

12

2

7

1

1

0

N/A

December

0

0

0

0

0

2

2

9

7

2

4

0

1

0

N/A

Service

Deaths

Army

330

Royal Air Force

8

Royal Navy

0

Royal Marines

54

Not released

0

Rank

Deaths

Officers

36

NCOs

45

Other ranks

309

Not released

2

Age

Deaths

19 and under

31

20-29

273

30-39

72

40+

15

Not released

1

Sex

Deaths

Male

389

Female

3

Accidental deaths

Month

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

January

N/A

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

February

N/A

0

0

0

0

0

1

0

0

0

1

0

0

0

0

March

N/A

0

0

0

0

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

0

April

N/A

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

5

0

May

N/A

0

0

0

0

0

1

0

0

1

0

0

0

0

0

June

N/A

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

0

4

0

0

0

0

0

July

N/A

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

1

0

0

0

0

0

August

N/A

0

0

0

0

2

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

September

0

0

0

0

0

14

2

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

October

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

2

November

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

0

0

1

0

0

0

0

N/A

December

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

N/A

Service

Deaths

Army

22

Royal Air Force

17

Royal Navy

0

Royal Marines

2

Not released

0

Rank

Deaths

Officers

10

NCOs

11

Other ranks

20

Not released

0

Age

Deaths

19 and under

0

20-29

23

30-39

11

40+

7

Not released

0

Sex

Deaths

Male

41

Female

0

Month

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

January

N/A

0

0

0

0

0

1

0

2

0

0

1

0

0

0

February

N/A

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

2

0

0

0

0

March

N/A

0

0

0

0

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

April

N/A

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

May

N/A

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

June

N/A

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

July

N/A

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

0

0

0

0

0

August

N/A

2

0

0

0

1

3

0

0

1

0

0

0

0

0

September

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

3

0

0

0

October

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

N/A

November

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

N/A

December

0

0

0

0

0

1

0

0

2

1

0

0

0

0

N/A

Service

Deaths

Army

19

Royal Air Force

0

Royal Navy

0

Royal Marines

4

Not released

0

Rank

Deaths

Officers

3

NCOs

2

Other ranks

18

Not released

0

Age

Deaths

19 and under

4

20-29

14

30-39

4

40+

1

Not released

0

Sex

Deaths

Male

23

Female

0

The overwhelming majority of casualties are soldiers from the lower ranks, killed while out on foot on patrol. Women work on the front line, but not in close-combat roles such as infantry, commando or tank units. The UK plans to end to combat operations in Afghanistan by 2014.

BBC links

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